Outdoors & Gardening
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Afton Villa FLORAL ESCAPES
Stop and Smell the Roses FIVE HISTORIC GARDENS TO VISIT THIS SPRING By James Fox-Smith
W
ith its subtropical climes, the LouisianaMississippi region is known for its lush, fertile ground—which has served as a bare canvas to visionary green thumbs past and present. As
our Southern spring settles in and the florals start to emerge, some of the finest gardens in the country are reaching their aesthetic height, and it is certainly worth it to pass an hour or two in their tranquil, sun-dappled spaces.
Windrush & LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens Ten different flags have flown over Louisiana, and a conglomeration of peoples have settled here: Native American, French, Spanish, AngloAmerican, German, African, and Acadian. Despite the disparity of their origins, the vast majority of these early settlers shared one bond: their dependence upon the land and waters of Louisiana for survival. Largely forgotten by the twentieth century, the lifestyles and cultures of pre-industrial Louisianans are recalled in the LSU Rural Life Museum. Steele Burden donated the 450-acre Burden Estate to Louisiana State University in 1972, creating an experimental research station for the LSU Agricultural Center and an oasis of tranquility in the center of Baton Rouge. Before Burden donated the estate, he designed and planted a five-acre expanse of semi-formal gardens called Windrush. Winding paths and open areas lead visitors through the arrangements of
aspidistras, nandinas, crepe myrtles, azaleas, and camellias, ornamented by European sculptures collected by Burden. Emphasizing form and texture in his “green garden,” Burden’s style was designed to highlight Louisiana’s particular foliage, scented by banana shrubs, gardenias, sweet olives, and butterfly gingers and enclosed by canopies of oaks, pines, and magnolias. Adjacent to Windrush, visitors will find the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens, which encompass specialty gardens featuring All-American Selection trial winners and Louisiana Super Plants; a Children’s Garden stocked with edible plants and butterflyfriendly flowers; the Early American and Stone Camellia Collections (one of the largest private collections in the United States); an educational herb garden displaying culinary and medicinal herbs from Louisiana's culture as well as those of Native Americans, Africans, Caribbean Islanders, the French,
Spanish, and other Europeans who came to Louisiana; and a Pollinator Garden, a Rose Garden, a Tropical Garden, the Orangerie Garden, and a Memory Garden memorializing those who have contributed to the property. All this, plus five miles of walking paths through the Burden Woods and Arboretum, are part of the Burden Museum & Gardens remarkable property.
Open from 8:30 am–4:30 pm seven days a week. Admission is $3 per person. Admission to the Rural Life Museum is $10; $8 for children ages 6–11; $9 for seniors, LSU Faculty, staff, and students; free for children younger than 6. No Admission fee for LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens. 4560 Essen Lane, Baton Rouge, La. (225) 763-3990
Until 1963, a visitor's journey up the oak alley from Afton Villa’s gates ended in front of a forty-room mansion. But that year, flames consumed the Gothic Revival home, built by David Barrow for his wife, Susan, in 1849. Today, what remains are the breathtaking gardens that spread their magic across almost fifty acres. At their finest this time of year, the gardens are divided into a number of sections. The foundation of the villa, marked now by four classical statues carved from Italian stone purchased in Vincenza, Italy, still outline the shape of the house. In recent years, the area within the walls has been excavated and designated the “Ruins Garden,” where flowers bloom year ‘round. From the ruins, the gardens sweep down in a series of graded terraces to the floor of the ravine beneath. A formal boxwood parterre comprises the first stage of the viewer’s descent through the stages of the garden’s design; an intricate maze awaits at its end. The music room—a small garden whose four ancient marble cherubs bear different instruments—is at the bottom of the stone steps. From there, stepping stones lead visitors into Daffodil Valley. Sixty thousand have been planted for naturalizing since 1984, and each April their delicate blooms daub the valley floor with spring colors.
Open 9 am–4:30 pm seven days a week from March 1–October 1. $5 admission for anyone over 12 years old. Highway 61, St. Francisville, La. (225) 635-6773 aftonvilla.com
Courtesy of LSU AgCenter
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